In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is the process of harvesting a woman’s eggs and a man’s sperm, uniting them outside the body, and then implanting the embryo in the woman’s uterus after fertilization. For many couples it offers the last possibility of becoming pregnant though its rate of effectiveness is still less than 30 percent.
Couples opting for IVF might expect to undergo more than one cycle before the process is successful. It is a complex and time consuming process, involving a series of hormone injections; and it can be very expensive, $10,000-$15,000 for a single cycle of IVF.
New research has shown IVF plus acupuncture increased pregnancy rates significantly. Published in the medical journal Fertility and Sterility in April 2002, a German study indicated an increase in success rates from 26 to 43 percent with acupuncture treatments before and after implantation. Couples undergoing IVF can increase their success rate even more if acupuncture started as early as 3 or 4 weeks before retrieval.
Some studies indicate that acupuncture helps to reduce the uterine contractions that often accompany IVF implantation. In addition, acupuncture has been successful in diminishing the uncomfortable side effects that are caused by using the high dosage of hormones that IVF requires.